Caitlin Clark Addresses Her Mental Health and Pressure of Being the Face of the League Before WNBA Draft

A new journey awaits the NCAA’s all-time Division I leading scorer. After conquering the college basketball court, Caitlin Clark now sets herself up for a different challenge as she enters the professional side of things. However, everything doesn’t seem to be as smooth as it appears from the outside. The idea of being the most eminent figure before the drafts may appear delightful to most, but, for Clark, it also brings along a certain sense of pressure.

The 6 ft guard further elaborated on it in a recent conversation with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. Speaking about entering the WNBA with a bright spotlight on her, Clark agreed that it does bring pressure. She added, “You’re going into a new chapter of your life. You don’t know really what to expect. It’s different from college like I knew I could play at the highest level with the greatest teams, the blue bloods of college basketball. Iowa was always really good during my career.”

She also added the fact that even though it is a new chapter for her where she will begin as a rookie, everyone’s eyes will still be on her. However, while she understands that it has mental health implications, she believes she can take it all. In fact, she is excited about her fresh challenge. But how does she manage it all?

More often than not, Iowa’s former stalwart point guard has the camera on her. This was quite evident this season and continues to grow as she enters the WNBA. Just to get a glimpse of her on the court, fans pushed the ticket prices off the roof. In addition to this, an astonishing number of 238,620 fans being in attendance in the regular season and 28,764 spectators during a weekend knockout game speaks further volumes of the burden of expectations on her.

“I signed up for this”: Caitlin Clark on her growth

In fact, while we are still a few hours away from the BMA event, ticket prices for all WNBA games where Indiana, the team projected to draft Clark, will play have soared. Additionally, the Fever will have 36 of 40 games televised this season. Also, the Indiana Fever has sold over 10,000 tickets to the WNBA draft event where fans can also enter because they wish to watch who picks Clark.

Meanwhile, the 2x National Player of the Year is only maturing as a player. Clark told Rowe, “That’s what I signed up for. That’s one of the reasons I left college. I think I’m ready for this from a maturity standpoint, a basketball standpoint. But I know everything’s not on me. I’ll have so many amazing teammates and vets to lean on and coaches to lean on. That’s what I’m excited about.”

However, when things do get tough for this ‘generational talent’, she reminds herself that it is okay to ask for help. She also believes that it is okay to say that you’re not okay. With many people, including her former teammates, parents, and coaches beside her and the team she will now be a part of, Caitlin Clark always gives her best.